Licence Conditions

Every liquor licence in NSW is subject to licence conditions. Some conditions are imposed automatically by the NSW liquor laws and others can be imposed by the Secretary of the Department of Customer Service or the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority Board (ILGA).

Conditions may be added to your licence either when it is granted or after a serious complaint or incident involving your venue.

Statutory licence conditions

The following documents set out conditions which apply to liquor licences automatically:

• Hotel licence (PDF 210.4 KB)
• Club licence (PDF 196.0 KB)
• On-premises licence – restaurant (PDF 201.6 KB)
• On-premises licence – public entertainment venue (not cinema or theatre) (PDF 207.2 KB)
• On-premises licence – cinema or theatre public entertainment venue (PDF 203.8 KB)
• On-premises licence – catering services (PDF 218.6 KB)
• On-premises licence – commercial tour operator (PDF 200.7 KB)
• On-premises licence – local product promotion (PDF 196.2 KB)
• On-premises licence – airport (PDF 188.0 KB)
• On-premises licence – tertiary institution (PDF 191.7 KB)
• On-premises licence – accommodation premises (PDF 199.9 KB)
• On-premises licence – vessel (PDF 197.0 KB)
• On-premises licence (others) (PDF 198.2 KB)
• Packaged liquor licence (PDF 196.8 KB)
• Producer/wholesaler – beer/spirits (PDF 186.0 KB)
• Producer/wholesaler – not beer/wine/spirits producer (PDF 179.0 KB)
• Producer/wholesaler – wine/cider/perry/mead products (PDF 218.6 KB)
• Limited licence – surf club (PDF 173.9 KB)
• Limited licence – not a surf club (PDF 171.2 KB)

Note these statutory conditions have been updated to reflect changes made in the Liquor Regulation 2018.

Conditions for Kings Cross and Sydney CBD Entertainment precincts

All venues in the Kings Cross precinct or Sydney CBD Entertainment precinct have special licence conditions to help reduce alcohol-related violence and anti-social behaviour in those areas.

Conditions for a specific venue

You can check what conditions apply to a particular liquor licence on the Service NSW website.

What your staff need to know

All staff working in a venue need to understand the venue’s liquor licence, authorisations and conditions. It is the licensee’s responsibility to ensure the licence, authorisations and conditions are available on site at all times.

Extended trading hours for hotels and clubs

Extended trading hours may be approved for hotels and eligible registered clubs to coincide with significant special events, such as major sporting events.

Extended trading hours conditions

Conditions apply on extended trading for special events.

Extended trading hours won’t allow you to:

• make takeaway liquor sales during the extended period
• override any existing trading hour restrictions that have been imposed on a hotel or registered club under the liquor laws.

Hotels and clubs that are already approved to trade during the above extended hours are not affected by these special arrangements.

Christmas and New Year liquor trading hours 2019/20

Notes:

1. Extended trading for hotels on Christmas Day morning: If you already have an approved extended trading authorisation that allows on-premises sales past midnight until any time up to 5am, you may use that authorisation on Christmas Day morning.
2. Christmas Day trading outside specified hours can only be approved under an extended trading authorisation for on-premises licences: If approved, sales between 5am and midnight must be in a dining area only, with or ancillary to a meal. 
   Trading outside noon to 10pm is not permitted for a public entertainment venue (other than a cinema or theatre).
3. On-premises licence promoting local products: An approved take-away sales authorisation cannot be used on Christmas Day.
4. Trading between midnight on Christmas Day and 5am on Boxing Day: This is not permitted for hotels and public entertainment venues (other than a cinema or theatre).
5. Packaged liquor trading on Boxing Day: Packaged liquor outlets may open for trade on the condition that everyone working in the shop freely choose to do so on Boxing Day. 
   Further information is available from NSW Industrial Relations Commission.
6. New Year’s Eve Exemption: Most venues can stay open to sell or supply alcohol for consumption on the premises until 2am for New Year’s Eve despite earlier closing times that may normally apply under liquor licences and development consents or approvals. This does not include takeaway liquor sales and home deliveries. The Kings Cross lockout restriction on patrons being admitted to venues after either 1.30am or 2am does not apply that night.
7. Liquor sales restrictions: All takeaway alcohol sales are prohibited after 11pm throughout the state as part of normal trading. Some venues in the Sydney CBD Entertainment and Kings Cross precincts are also subject to  cessation of liquor sales requirements.
8. 6-hour closure still applies: Liquor licences granted from 30 October 2008, along with licences that have an extended trading authorisation granted from that date and licences that are removed to another location from that date, are subject to a daily 6-hour closure for retail sales. This 6-hour closure continues to apply during the Christmas period.
9. Vessel trading hours: Normal trading for vessels is one hour before the vessel starts any voyage or passage and ending 30 minutes after the voyage or passage is completed (or during other times approved by the Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority).